Danger to Data Security: When Gods Become Demons

"Virtualization" has been a boon for computer users; it also can pose a huge threat to their data.

When Edward Snowden leaked details of secret U.S. and British government surveillance programs, he also revealed the power of computer administrators. Their capacity for mischief has been magnified by the popularity of "virtualization"—a software trick that allows data centers to run diverse tasks efficiently on a shared hunk of computing hardware.